The emotion that drove Michael Jordan to risk his NBA legacy with the Wizards at 38

Michael Jordan’s love for basketball was never about the money. That much was clear when he made a stunning return to the NBA at age 38—not with the Chicago Bulls, but with the Washington Wizards.

On September 25, 2001, Jordan officially announced his comeback, signing a two-year deal with the Wizards and sending shockwaves through the basketball world. It wasn’t the first time the GOAT had walked away from the game—or come back.

Why MJ retired at 30

His first retirement came in October 1993, following the tragic death of his father. Jordan stepped away from the hardwood to chase a baseball dream with the Chicago White Sox organization, playing in the minor leagues. He returned to the Bulls in 1995 and led them to a second three-peat, winning his sixth NBA championship in 1998 before stepping away once again.

But this third act? Nobody saw it coming.

The reason for Michael Jordan’s second NBA comeback

Jordan wasn’t returning as the face of the Bulls or the league’s reigning king. He was 38, three years removed from the game, and now wearing a Wizards jersey. At the time, he was already serving as Washington’s President of Basketball Operations—a role he took on in early 2000. It was during that front-office stint that the itch to play again took hold. And when he announced his return, critics didn’t hold back. Why risk tarnishing a spotless legacy, they asked—especially for a team that hadn’t sniffed the playoffs since the ’90s?

But Jordan made one thing crystal clear.

“I just want to play the game I love. I don’t care about the money. I don’t care if I’m paid a single cent—I’ve said that for years,” he told reporters at the time.

And really, he didn’t need to prove anything. Six NBA titles. Six Finals MVPs. Ten-time scoring champ. Fourteen All-Star appearances. His résumé was already etched in stone.

Jordan suited up for the Wizards for the first time on October 30, 2001, against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden. Statistically, the debut was modest. But the buzz? Massive. Washington was suddenly relevant again in the NBA conversation.

Jordan’s Wizards numbers

In the 2001–02 season, Jordan played 60 games and averaged 22.9 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 5.2 assists. He even dropped 51 points in a game against the Charlotte Hornets, proving the fire was still there.

He followed that up with a full 82-game season in 2002–03, again averaging over 20 points per game. Jordan made history once more by becoming the first player over 40 to score 40-plus points in a game—not once, but twice.

On April 16, 2003, at the age of 40, Michael Jordan played the final game of his legendary career in Philadelphia against the 76ers. After 15 seasons and 32,292 points, he walked away from the game he loved—for good this time.

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